WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last night, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), highest-ranking woman in the United States Senate and third-ranking Senate Democrat, accepted the 2018 We Are EMILY Award in recognition of her leadership on women’s health and rights, and her ongoing efforts to encourage women to seek elected office and make sure their voices are heard in Congress.

Murray outlined lessons she has learned since she was elected in 1992, the so-called “Year of the Woman” and became just one of six women Senators in Washington, D.C.—which was a record at the time. Murray also laid out her vision for standing up for children, women, workers, and families, and their freedom to be who and want they want to be in our country.

Key excerpts of Senator Murray’s remarks:

“…you may not know why I decided to run for the United States Senate. As Stephanie explained, it was 1992, the year Anita Hill came before Congress to bravely explain that Clarence Thomas sexually harassed her when she worked for him. I, too, remember watching that all-male Senate panel grilling Anita Hill and thinking—“Wow. No one is saying what I would if I were there. Asking what I’d ask.”

“I was mad. Yelling at the TV wouldn’t fix it. So I decided to run.”

“When I got to the Capitol, having six women Senators was a groundbreaking record. It was so bad—there wasn’t even a women’s bathroom anywhere near the Senate floor! We fixed that—and a lot more has changed too. But a lot hasn’t.

“It is still true that, as a woman, whether you are making change in your community, running for office, or finding your way around the Senate, someone is more than likely going to tell you something like, “you’re just a mom in tennis shoes.”

“I know I just talked about standing up to bullies—and we’ve certainly got our hands full there! But, while standing against Donald Trump and his agenda is critical—it isn’t the whole game. We need to be clear not just about what we are fighting against, but what we stand for. What we want the world to look like for our kids and grandkids. That’s why tonight, I also want to talk with you about freedom.”

Full remarks as prepared:

“Stephanie, thank you so much for that introduction and for everything you do to help women run, win, and drive change. I’m deeply honored to receive this recognition and to be here with all of you.

“Many of you have heard about the moment that got me into statewide politics—being told by a State Senator I was “just a mom in tennis shoes” who “couldn’t make a difference.” But you may not know why I decided to run for the United States Senate.

“As Stephanie explained, it was 1992, the year Anita Hill came before Congress to bravely explain that Clarence Thomas sexually harassed her when she worked for him. I, too, remember watching that all-male Senate panel grilling Anita Hill and thinking—“Wow. No one is saying what I would if I were there. Asking what I’d ask.”

“I was mad. Yelling at the TV wouldn’t fix it. So I decided to run.

“It was a long shot, and I had a lot to learn. And I knew it would not be easy. One of my fundraisers when I first ran was a yard sale. My whole family pitched in, but we actually lost money giving things away and handing out chocolate chip cookies. I was willing to do the work, but I didn’t have the resources.

“Then EMILY’s List got involved. I’ll never forget realizing so many people—women and a few good men—were with me. It kept me going, all the way to the United States Senate.

“So thank you, EMILY’s List, for being with me from the start.

“Today it is so inspiring to see so many women looking around and saying, “Where is my voice? I’ve got to do something about this.” Well one thing I know for sure. You can.

“When I got to the Capitol, having six women Senators was a groundbreaking record. It was so bad—there wasn’t even a women’s bathroom anywhere near the Senate floor! We fixed that—and a lot more has changed too. But a lot hasn’t.

“It is still true that, as a woman, whether you are making change in your community, running for office, or finding your way around the Senate, someone is more than likely going to tell you something like, “you’re just a mom in tennis shoes.” So, let me share a few lessons I’ve learned.

“First—take the risk of speaking up. You deserve to be heard, and so does everyone else who is quietly thinking the same thing as you. And don’t be afraid to do things you never thought you could do. Look at them as ‘adventures.’ I never saw myself doing debates, or speaking on the Senate floor—but I have. You can too.

“Second—stand with each other. There’s that saying, behind every great man is a great woman. The truth? Behind every strong woman is…a whole lot of other strong women!

“I’ve seen it since my first days in the Senate, when Barbara Mikulski of Maryland showed me the ropes. I’ve seen it in our bipartisan women senators’ dinners, where we talk about how we can make change together. And “I see it in the millions of women who marched the day after President Trump’s inauguration and laid the groundwork for so much activism to come.

“So when you want to get something done, make sure to tell a friend, to tell a friend, to tell a friend. No one accomplishes anything by themselves. And you can do more than you ever imagined with other strong people—especially women!—at your side.

“Third—stand up to bullies. People have so often told me I wasn’t up to the challenge.

“You can’t win as a woman, so call yourself ‘Pat.’”

“I sure didn’t take that advice, and here I am.

“There’s no way Democrats can take back the Senate in 2012.”

“We did, and under my leadership we brought Senators Warren, Baldwin, Heitkamp, and Hirono to Congress.

“You can’t get a budget deal with Paul Ryan that is good for middle class families.” I did.

“So don’t let naysayers stop you. And don’t let “loud” stop you, either. More often than not, that loud person—let’s be honest, that loud man—talking over you or interrupting you is hiding that he doesn’t know the facts. So blow past it and stay focused.

“Which brings me to my final, most important point.

“I know I just talked about standing up to bullies—and we’ve certainly got our hands full there! But, while standing against Donald Trump and his agenda is critical—it isn’t the whole game. We need to be clear not just about what we are fighting against, but what we stand for. What we want the world to look like for our kids and grandkids.

“That’s why tonight, I also want to talk with you about freedom.

“Today the word ‘freedom’ has too often been contorted to justify giving someone at the top more power. Employers who want to control women’s health care decisions. Huge corporations who want to rig our elections. Businesses who turn a blind eye to communities they have left behind when they cater only to Wall Street investors.

“Well we need to take the word freedom back. I know who we need to empower today. Regular Americans who want the ability to achieve the American dream.

“We need to stand for freedom for children, women, workers, and families. Freedom to go to school to learn, rather than do active shooter drills, and go to college without crushing student debt. Freedom to make your own choices about your own body—without the Trump administration’s women’s health expert, Mike Pence, getting involved. Freedom to walk into a job interview—or just down the street—without thinking the way you look, or who you love, could count against you, and to hold your employer accountable for harassment rather than staying silent. Freedom to be able to afford the health care you need, and know your children are breathing clean air and drinking clean water because their lives matter more than a corporation’s bottom line. Freedom to stay in, and be treated fairly in, the only nation you’ve ever called home.

“We are greater when these are the ideals freedom means in our country—because when more of us have these freedoms, more of us can speak out for ourselves and for each other just like I was able to, and just like so many incredible women are doing now.

“Look, I don’t need to tell this group to keep fighting or work harder than ever—I know you will. But November 2016 did ask us, as a country, a question. What will we be in ten years? In twenty?

“And so I challenge you to speak up and stand for a country that listens to and respects all its people. A country that knows it is greatest when we have freedom to be who and what we want to be, and one that lifts up not just the select few, but all of us.

“That’s how we will win. That’s how we will make the change we all so badly want to see. And I am so proud that women are leading the way.